Keyboard for mail-distributing machines



LSZQSSG R. 4. lMITCHELL KEYBOARD FOR MAIL DISTRIBUTING MACHINES I Filed May 2s, 1919 2 sneetsqsheen i my Q Dec. ,-301 1924- l,520,836

. R. J. MITCHELL 'KEYBOARD FOR MAIL DISTRIBUTING MACHINES Filed May 2'8, .1919 2 sheets-sheet a `Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

UNITED stares ROBERT J. MITCHELL, OIF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASS-IGNOR' TO` rarest orale-E5,

MITCHELL MACHINE CQIVIPANY, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF C0LUMBIA,V`A.

CORPORATION OF DELAVABE.

KEYBOARD ros .iviain-nisfriiiisnrine liviacstrives. e

y Application mea May as, 191e. Y serial No. 300,378.

To all iii/0m t may concer-n.'

Be it known that l, ROBERT J. li/lrroi-innn, a, citizen of the United States.I residing' at VVashing'ton, District ot.' Columbia, have' invented new and useful Improvements .in a Keyboard tor Mail-Distributing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail distributingl a keyboard for such machines. Ina co-pendi ing application, Serial No. 221,528 :tiled March 9, 1918, in which I appear as coinventor, there is disclosed amail distributing machine with which the key-board of this application is especially adapted to be used. It should be understood, however', that my improved key-board is of general application and is designed for use with all distributing' machines; f

Under the present system., the routingand distribution of mail is lcarried out by operators or distributors, who stand before a letter case having a number of boxes and with the letters held in one hand with the addresses facingupwardly the operatoi` takes the letters singly and after reading their addresses places them in their respective pigeonholes corresponding to their destinations.

As described in my prior application, the letters irstundergo what is knownV in the postal. service as the primary separation7 that is, the letters for the foreign countries` the several States of the United States and large cities of the world are placed in their respective pigeonholes without ,reference to the routes by which they reach their destina,- tion. The packages of letters for the foreign countries and for those States not connected with the original office by more than one railway post olce route are despatched without further handling. In this separation all letters having' the same post oiice destinations are at all times placed in the same receptacle or pigeon-hole, so that the only requirements on the part of the distributor in this separation is that he be able to read thel dilerent post oliice addresses, The city packagesi are taken out rand disposed 'oflinally bythe original post oiiice.

. The remaining 'letters are those which i have been dividedinto State ackaes.7 V

Each of thesel packages of letters now 4undergoes a ,tinal;separation, which is jrequired tor the reason that, in these instances,`

two or more railway lines run `from the original ol'lice through the State the mail of which is routed, and it is necessary that each line-be given that portion onlypwhich it or its connections canse-rve with greatest ,v In finally separating the mail,A

despatch.

ackarfes are made u i for the laro'er offices o i t:

termed direct.V Where a number ot' otlices are supplied through another oitice at' a junction point, the letters going to ythese oices so supplied are assorted together and delivered to the post office of the direct e i city which distributes them to the surrounding oces by" star or rural routes or over electric trainsior the like.

rfhe remainder of the mail for each State is assorted to be delivered to various rail-y way post othce routes passingv throughthe particular. State the maill of which isr beingl routed and which bear the names of the initial and terminal cities of the' runs irrespective ofthe railroad or railroads which they travel.`

n lt should here be pointed out, there is called for in this iinal separation on the part oit the distributor, a most thorough knowledge. of the various railway routes, ot' the post koiicesl along theseV routes, and ot the train schedules for the several routes.

This fact will become more evidentwhen it 'is recognized that at one time a letter for agiven destination must be placed in 'one box along` with the mail for other destinations, and at other timesv in `another box with mail addressed to different destinations;

The disposition of the mail for a certain post oiiice is dependent upon the time of day and the quickest route of delivery at that' i time, providing there are 'several ioutes by which a letter may be sent to a given'destilnation. On all occasions the operator;` must have `in mind not only `the train schedules over the different routes by which mail may be delivered to a given destination, but he must also know the naines of the stations along each route, so that when he' is to dispose of a letter -for a certain oliice he may nism for each tier, termed the finaliconveyor,

which receives letters from a primary conveyor and upon the receipt ot' a letter automatically moves to the receptacle of its tier to which the letter is to be delivered. There is adjacent each receptacle a selective stop which is actuated trom a keyboard to cause the tina-l conveyor to come to a stop in front of its given receptacle. ln this machine each key lcorresponds to given destinations and a certain receptacle,butin order to provide 'for final separation in which, as described above, mail that sometimes is sent to separate boxes is often sent to the same box-#there is provided plug mechanism which connects up a plurality of keys to the same stop for the final conveyor so that a plurality ofl keys may cause the delivery of mail to the same receptacle when this is desirable.

In 'the prior application the keyboard comprises a plurality of keys, therein termed manipulative devices, each key having a push rod which, when the key is actuated, moves a switch closing a circuit to put in motion the delivery mechanism and stops oi` the machine. The switch mechanisms of the machine are of standard number and size, and are all located within a box for which the detachable keyboard serves as a cover.

It. should be observed from a reading or' the aboveth'at there is disclosed in my prior application a machine adapted-to carry out a final separation'of the mail. But in that machine tliereis shown no keyboardwhich will eliminate the necessity for the operator to commit to memory the names of the various post ofiices whose mailt is to be placed in the same box. lVliile means is provided for causing mail, normally delivered to separate receptacles, to be delivered to the same receptacle there is indicated no specilic arrangement for the keyboard or an arrangement permitting final separation of the mail.

The present invention has as an object a keyboard arrangement in which the individual keys have associated therewith the names of those post offices the mail for which at all times is delivered to the same receptacle.

It is the object oi the present invention to provide a keyboard which will eliminate the necessity for the voperator committing to memory the names of the normally associated post offices andwhich willat the same ytime Ibe adapted to tit upon the standard switch-box of the machine of my prior application. In other words, it is the aim of this invention to provide a keyboard arranged forthe final separation `of inail for a given area, 'the keys of the board having arranged in association therewith the names 'of given postV offices along the mail' routes of the area.

So far as Iain aware, prior toiny former application, there wasknownno. machine capable of iinal separation of mail because `l prior to that time there was no means known for causing a plurality or vactuating` keys to cause delivery to the same box. rlhev prior yart does not discloseV a keyboard which may be used with tl'ie'standard switcher` operating mechanism of such a machine and at the saine time be arranged for the iinal separation of mail for a given area, by having adjacent each `key or onI each key the names of post ofiices whose mail is always delivered to the saine receptacle. rllhe main the corresponding keys but also iii the total number of keys. u

A. further object or my invent-ion is to:`

provide a keyboard siichas is described above; having removable, interchangeable keys so that the operator'inay Vplace in'conveniently` reached` position. on the .board thos-ekeys corresponding to destinations for which there is a great l' deal of mail. i

Tlieabove and'otherob-iects and features ot my invention will become clear during the course of this descriptiom reference being` had the accompanying drawings in which'-` Fig. l is a sectional view of thefupper portion of the operating or switchlbox of the machine of my vprior application and a keyboard attached thereto.

Fig. Q is a fragmentary view oitakeyboa-rd showing modified means for placing l- Y namesl adjacent the keys. r

Fig. 3 is a'veitical sectional `vview of one ot the Jringer Fig. l.

vno

pieces of the keys-shown in 'y Fig. is an elevational View' of onegoil the springsA used for reti-acting the keys.v

Fig. 5 is a detail view oi' a-vkey, the base plate and spring being shown in section.

Fig. 64 is aA top planview of a. portion ot a keyb`oard-` y Fig. `7 is a diagrammatic top plan view lof form shown in 6;',

a keyboard-of diiferentoutline from vthe Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic .view showing i a modiiiedl outline iorpa keyboard.

'Reteiring to the drawing-s inmore detaih '1 indicates a box. or container'for the oper-` ating mechanism of a distributing machine having located therein magnets and switch levers 3 pivoted at #tto suitablebrackets (not shown).L The bellforank switch levers are provided with suitable contacts (not sho-wn) to make a circuit and throw into operation the delivery and stop mechanism "it the nrachine` This feature is fully described in my prior appli-.cationA and as the present invention re tes merely to the keyboard it is ininece to further describe the operating meel -ism of the machine.

Detachfmly secured to the box l by means ot suitable latches l0 pivoted to the box is a keyboard comprising a base plate 9 having spaced openings above the switch levers 3 receiving push rods 8 and .tinger tips l'. The puslrrods 8 and their finger t-ips 1" constitute the keys oit the board and are removably arranged in their respective openings for a purpose later to be described.

lt shouldbe observed that below thebase plate 9 and slightly spaced therefrom isa guide plate 6 secured at its edges to the depending sides 5 ot the base plate and having openings which register with the push rod openings ot the base plate and serve as guides tor the push rods.

The push rods are made square in cross section to prevent rotation and each passes through a similarly shaped opening il in a spider formed spring l2 the arms of which rest upon the base plate of the keyboard. The springs are slightly arched, asL

indicated vin Fig. 5, so as to move the keys upwardly Ato inoperative position when the holding magnet 2 is cle-energized, as described in my prior application. y

The finger tips 7 ot each of the keys may be formed so as to removably receive the name cards 13 (F ig. in any suitable manner, but in the torm of my device shown in the drawings l have provided each tip with upstanding flanges ahaving lips 7b thereon, the card being placed under the overturned lips in the usual manner.

Instead ot placing the name-cards upon the keys, as shown in Fig. 3, these cards may be placed in spring clamps 14 located upon the base plate 9 between each `of the keys. The entire keyboard may be rectangular in outlineV as shown in Fig. G or, it de-k sired,lbe ll-shaped asin Fig.

The above describes the construction ot a keyboard in which none ot the fingertips must be of a size to overlap the opening in the base plate tor an `adjacent key.

llt should be borne in mind that each key is to receive the names of those post oitices in a given area vwhich are always associated and whose mail is at allv times to be idelivered to the same receptacle. It is often tound that a great many names must, be located lon the same key and that while one key will have thereon but one name, such as Richmond,y as shown in Fig. 6, an adjacent'key will have a plurality of names thereon. Duepto the tact that the operating box Should be Qf a `starllrd- Size and .Con-

struction, and as the openings of the base plate register with the switch or operating levers a construction must` be obtained which may be used upon a standard operating bor; and at thesame time admit oith rearrangement ot the keys.

As shown in F ig. l those keys which must have tips ot such a size asy to cover the adjacent push rod opening in the base plate, while being provided with but one push rod, have short pins lfwhich tit in the adjacentopening thereby providing a bearing for the key. A return spring tor such a key may be located either between their pin and push rod (as shown) or around the gush rod as in the case of the other keys.

lt should be noted that the keyboard is made detachable so that after a iinal separation tor one area is made it may be replaced by a keyboard arranged for the linal separation ot mail tor another area, such as a State. Each keyboard is arranged tor the iinal separation ot' mail for a given area, such as a State, by having located on each key the names ot those post olices whose mail is always delivered to the same box. By putting on each key the names of the post offices, instead oi the names of the routes, it is unnecessary for the operator to remember the names ot the stations on each route or the time at which a letterv tor a given destination is to go by a certain route when the route by which it is delivered varies during the day.. Takingthe example usedv at the beginning ot this description, the above will beimade more clear. As: shown in Fig. 6 vwhichindicates the arrange ment of a keyboardtor a portion ot the State of Virginia,-as will be observed Danville and Richmond each have separate keys.

rlhe key beneath the Danville key has upon it the names of Manassas, Orange, and Charlottesville, which are post ottices between l/Vashington and Danville on the Southern Railroad, or the Washington and Charlotte line. Mail for Manassas, Orange,

and Charlottesville will always be placed in the same. receptacle. Danville is placed upon a separate key because at certain times of the day, due to the train schedules, mail will reach Danville from lWashington more quickly if it is sent by the Seaboard Air Line to Richmond and at Richmond placed upon a Richmond and Danville train, instead of being despatched on the Southern Railroad direct to Danville. At such times the Danville mail is delivered to the same receptacles as the mail for the stations between Richmond and Danville, namely,

'Moseley Jct, lurkeville, Meherrin, and

leysville. At these times the 'plug is in my machine which will'cause the Danville key and the key with the last mentioned Y names to deliver to the same receptacle,

ist

Macnee From the above it will be clear that with my improved keyboard it is unnecessary for the operator to remember the names of thev stations along each route, as these names are upon the keys. So far as I am aware, I am the first to provide a keyboard with the names of the post ofces upon the keys, the names of the post offices whose mail is to be delivered at all times tothe same receptacle being upon the same key, and the wholekeyboard being thus arranged for the final separation of mail for a given area.

The machines knownl in the art have keyboards adapted to have thereon only the.

names of States, etc. for primary separation. or the names of ma1l routes if final' served that the Danville and Richmond keys,

for instance, are located at the upper part of the keyboard. The indicated position for these is convenient for the operator that is separating the mail, say in Washington,

Where there is. not a great deal of mail for delivery to these cities, But in a city where, in separating mail for Virginia, it is found that there is a 'relatively large quantity of mail for Danville andRichmond, it may be guide pins.

desirable to positionthesekeys in a more easily reached `place upon the board. It is v to make allowance for these necessities and changes in postal schedule, known as scheme changes in the postal'service, that the keys are made interchangeable so that they may be transposed yas desired.` It is to be ob` served that instead of rearranging'the keys, the name cards thereon could be transposed in cases where the keys of those cards to be transposed are of the same'size, and on vall f' occasions could this be done in the formof 4my invention shown in Fig. 2.

It should be understood that myl invention is notr limited tothe vspecific form of keyboard shown in the accompanyingdrawings, p wherein. I disclose but one of many forms f in which my invention might be embodied, Y

but the true scope thereof is vdefined bythe following claim.

I claimI y y A l Ina distributing machine having a plurality of adjacent operating members, a-keyboard above said operating `members comprising a base plate having a plurality of key openings `therein above said operating j l f members, keys provided with push rods extending through some of said openings and having guide pins kof shorter lengthvthan said push rods extending throughv adjacent` openings, said keys having nger tips with indicia thereon above the pushrods'and In testimony whereof'y lI have hereuntolset my hand; i l

ROBERT J. MITCHELL. 

